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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An increasingly isolated President Donald Trump sought on Friday to stave off a new drive to impeach him and Twitter permanently suspended his account, two days after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an assault on American democracy.
Twitter, long Trump’s favorite way to communicate with his supporters and a way to share his false claims of election fraud with his nearly 90 million followers, had been under increasing pressure to take action after Wednesday’s mayhem in Washington.
Trump exhorted thousands of followers to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, prompting chaos in which crowds breached the building, forced the evacuation of both chambers and left a police officer and four others dead in their wake.
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker: Riot, Stoked By Trump, A Dark Moment For Our Country
Gov. Charlie Baker takes questions from the media in a Sept. 23, 2020, file photo.
Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff/The Boston Globe/Pool
Updated at 3:26 p.m.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker opened his regular COVID-19 briefing Thursday with a scathing denunciation of President Donald Trump and his role in the mayhem that erupted in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, when pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden s election win. Yesterday s events were appalling, disgraceful and depressing, Baker said. But it s important to remember that they were the culmination of President Trump repeating, over and over again, that the American electoral system is a fraud.
Boston College Prof., Rev. Richard McGowan warned that the capacity limit of 25 per cent could force many gaming properties in the state to permanently discontinue operations. However, those properties that rely on revenue from table games, food and entertainment might not hurt much.
Commenting on the new restrictions, McGowan said, “If a casino is dependent on slot machines for their revenues, then 25 percent capacity is a death warrant. If the casino is one that depends on high rollers, i.e., table games and large expenditures on food and entertainment, then it might not hurt as much.”
After closely following and analyzing New England gambling trends, McGowan predicted that some venues like Encore Boston Harbor might be able to survive if the high rollers continue to fly into Boston. However, lack of patrons will hurt venues like MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino a lot.
Vermont Business Magazine Today, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced an extension of the suspension of interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private
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Not all Berkshire County legislators are pleased with the final form of the police reform bill Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law on Thursday.
Democratic 2nd Berkshire District State Representative Paul Mark says he takes issue with the amended bill scaling back prohibitions on facial recognition technology. Baker threatened a veto when the House’s original draft fully banned its use for the time being.
“The possibility for abuse and misuse is great, and the possibility for mistaken identity as the technology develops is also great,” he told WAMC.
The bill allows the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in certain circumstances if a request is filed to the RMV, State Police or FBI. Civil rights groups like the ACLU of Massachusetts have pushed for a moratorium on the technology.